The next day, Rainbow Dash came to visit Sweet Apple Acres, where Xavier and his sister Whinny had spent the night. She brought Twilight Sparkle with her.
“Xavier, Twilight wants to come with us on our hike up Yellow Mountain,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Of course not,” Xavier said. “The more the merrier!”
“Great! So you can talk to Twilight about her perspective on flying, because it’s different for her than it is for me. Twilight didn’t get her wings until she was grown up. I had mine from the time I was born. Now, while you two talk, I need to go see a friend about a favor.”
Rainbow Dash took to the sky while Xavier and Twilight settled down in the shade of an apple tree to chat.
“Rainbow Dash told me all about how flying makes her feel free and makes her feel like she’s part of the sky,” Xavier said. “How does flying make you feel, Twilight?”
“Awkward and clumsy, although I’m getting better at it,” Twilight said.
“I can’t imagine you feeling awkward and clumsy. You’re so graceful and self-assured.”
“Not when I fly,” Twilight sighed. “I feel like I don’t have control over my body. You have no idea how many crash landings I’ve made, or how many trees I’ve flown into. Flying sounds like it would be so freeing, and it is for a pony like Rainbow Dash. But for me, it’s kind of terrifying. I’m used to feeling the ground beneath my hooves, not seeing the ground from the air!”
“Wow, I never thought of it that way!” Xavier said. “I was feeling kind of jealous of Rainbow Dash, being able to fly through the air free and easy like a breeze. But if you’ve never flown before, I guess it would be kind of hard to get your bearings.”
“I have an idea!” Twilight declared. “I know a Pegasus who prefers to remain close to the ground. Stay here, I’ll be right back!”
“If this project doesn’t earn me high marks, I don’t know what will,” Xavier said as he gleefully worked on his assignment.